Without a no-layoff guarantee, there is little chance rank-and-file cops will go for any deal.

"We can't make that kind of guarantee. It would be irresponsible," said City Council President Jane Brunner, noting that next year's deficit is predicted to grow to $53 million.

When the layoffs start, they'll be based on seniority - which means that younger patrol cops will be the first to go.

Cops from community policing, traffic, foot patrols and the gang task force - along with officers from the already-understaffed burglary, robbery and sex crime units - will go back out on patrol.

About the only unit that will escape the cutbacks is homicide.

One council member said privately that there was no way to avoid layoffs, given the size of the budget deficit, and predicted anywhere from 80 to 150 of Oakland's 775 cops will lose their jobs.

By the way, if the City Council does vote for layoffs, it will probably hold off on issuing the pink slips until after the verdict in the murder trial of former BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle- just in case there are more riots.

Her lawyer-husband, Tom Pier, is part of the legal team, along with her father, Joe Alioto.

Mayor Gavin Newsomappointed Alioto-Pier to fill out the remainder of his term from District 2 in the Marina after he was sworn in as mayor in January 2004. She won a four-year term two years later and now says she is eligible to run for a second four-year term.

The city attorney ruled that the time she spent in office before winning her 2006 election should count as a full term and that now she's termed out.

A hearing in San Francisco Superior Court on Alioto-Pier's suit is tentatively scheduled for July 16 - three weeks before the filing deadline to run for the board.

Alioto's challenge has been the talk of political circles for some time, especially because of what may happen if she prevails.

Janet Reilly- wife of longtime San Francisco politico and businessman Clint Reilly- is already up and running for the seat, with the backing of some of Alioto's key supporters.

Top cop: Leaders of 11 of the state's biggest police unions had a confab at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego recently, and one of the top topics was which candidate to endorse in the upcoming attorney general's race.

The choices are Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley, the Republican, and his prosecutor counterpart from San Francisco, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.

Sounds like Harris shouldn't be renting any ballrooms for the endorsement announcement.

"It was pretty clear, they are either going to endorse Cooley or sit it out," said Gary Delagnes, head of the San Francisco Police Officers Association.

Harris has landed the endorsements of both the San Francisco and Los Angeles police chiefs, but the rank-and-file is a another story.

"Feelings were still pretty bitter and strong about Harris not seeking the death penalty for the killer of Officer Isaac Espinoza," Delagnes said.

Power stroke: The San Francisco parking department gave the green light to install 1,200 new parking meters all over town, but put off a decision on one politically powerful place - the northern end of Van Ness Avenue.

For decades, the members of the Dolphin and South End swim and rowing clubs have parked for free in the four-hour zone abutting the bay. A number of them are some pretty big players down at the hall, and they showed up in force at Friday's parking authority hearing.

Apparently the higher-ups in the parking agency were afraid the morning dippers would take the issue to the Board of Supervisors, and they didn't want set a precedent of politicos getting involved in a meter decision.